Tag Archives: Rant

This hatred in our country has to stop. All American- how can we act like this? All of us. People have died, and all I see is hatred and blame and accusation. A child has been killed. She might have been a future public servant. She was at the Congresswoman’s meet and greet because her neighbor thought she would be interested. And what have we, as a Nation, done? Blamed everyone for this.

As way of disclaimer, most people know I am a progressive, lefty, tree hugging, save the world kinda girl. I make no apologies for that. It is who I am and how I view the world. I have no issue with conservative people. I grew up with the real life version of Alex P. Keaton and I still love him to death 🙂

However the difference to how I grew up, with respectful agreement is so far gone from what I see now. I read and listen to a wide range of media, both online and on the radio. The left-leaning sites are saying that Jared Loughner is a Tea Party type, and blame Sarah Palin and Glen Beck for the hateful rhetoric. The sites on the right and calling him a lefty/Communist/Fascist. What is this based on? On a list of books he read? My favorite book is Gone with the Wind, does that make me a Southern Confederacy Sympathizer? Of course not.

(for the record it in impossible to be a Communist and Fascist at the same time)

But regardless of you political ideology, the fact remains that words matter. It has been said before, it will be said again. I don’t care what point you are on in the political spectrum, what you say and how you say it matters. There is no place for hatred and misinformation is news and political and in life!

I’ll be the first to admit, I was not a supporter of President Bush. My kids used “Icky Pooey Bush” in Scattergories for “Presidents” and Letter I. But they also knew that they were not allowed to talk like that outside of our home and that they had to be respectful to him because he was our President. My kids also got the privilege of hearing me read the Bill of Rights to them at the dinner table after the PATRIOT Act was passed. The First Amendment is first because Free Speech is so important.

I am sure that there is hate speech on all sides of the political spectrum and political media. Like I have said, I listen and read articles from all sides. But I do have to note, that the stuff I hear coming from the “fringe right” is horrifying. There should be no place in politics for people calling for Second Amendment remedies, or calling for executions and assassinations of anyone. The Conservatives that I know are not like that but they are obviously out there.

So no matter what your belief system is, or how you feel about the government, please keep in mind that what you put out there, what you listen to, all of that garbage coming from anyone with a microphone… its out there. While the people most likely to read this are not the ones who will take a suggestion of hatred and act on it, again, there are people like Jared Loughner who will.

Ticked Off: This is an old article, but shows how *nothing* has change. It was written over two years ago, and the Lyme Community is still facing the same struggles, sense of disbelief, challenges from the IDSA-led medical community and insurance companies.

Seriously messed up shit, let me tell you. If you don’t want to read about my rantings over health care/insurance, feel free to stop right here. Because if the Health Care Bill didn’t pass last night, you wouldn’t have the option- you’d be hearing me yell all throughout the US, perhaps even around the world.

I am losing my health insurance as of May 1st. While I am trying to figure out how/where/how much it will cost to get an individual plan, I am trying to make sure that I get to see any of my doctors before I am uninsured. My physical is all set, blood work will be able to get done, last time to the endocrinologist- all before May 1st.

But the one appointment I can’t make is for my repeat mammography. I had a biopsy done in November (thankfully everything was benign!) and need to have a recheck done in May. Trying to be proactive, I call to make the appointment, seeing if I can get squeezed in (no pun intended) before the end of April. I am told that the hospital doesn’t take my insurance. Ok, I am thinking it might be just the Breast Center. But to be sure, I look online and no part of the hospital accepts this insurance plan.

Seriously? I live about 35 minutes from this hospital, the closest one to my home. And I can’t go there, or *my kids* can’t go there in an emergency because my HMO says I can’t?? You have got to be kidding! But its true- if my kid falls and is unconscious- I am going to have to remember to notify the paramedics to take him or her to a farther hospital or I won’t be able to pay for it.

This is incredible. Horrifying. And truly unacceptable. I realize that the new health care is not perfect. And I understand that it will take the course of several years to implement some of the changes. But at least I feel like this is step in he right direction. It sure as hell can’t get much worse.

Some days it is really really hard to feel grateful and positive. Today is one of them. I am too irritated and aggravated to really have an open heart. I am going to give this my best shot, because there still are things to be grateful for:

Oh my goodness, please let this summer slow down if only to give me a chance to catch my breath. I hate to say it- the date is scaring the shit out of me! All last month, I was counting down the days until the kids got out of school, so maybe I would have some time to take it a bit easier. Not happening.

July has flown past me and I can only hope that August calms down a LOT! It really needs to or I am not going to feel rested and relaxed before the school year begins again. And then- insanity will rise again I try to get readjusted to the grind of school, homework, projects and so on.

I think that my next habit is going to have to be similar to Kat’s- to take time for myself. It I don’t, I may juts explode. Literally. And I am sure that won’t be a pretty sight LOL

Scarlett is doing ok- the vet said at her re-check this morning that she may stay the same as she is now, or she may continue to progress. No way of knowing. But she can now be “released” from her bathroom jail and is now allowed some more freedom to raom about in our bedroom. She is so excited about this change of scenery that she has hidden under my bed for the entire day! AHHH!

Harley has new meds for her eye and we will need to be in contact with a specialist through our own vet on other options we can try. If there are any….

My habits are good- last two days I have been keeping up with them well. My mom told me she thought that my “arms looked skinny.” Maybe they are actually looking a bit toned? Yeah, let’s go with that LOL

other than that, we are starting to get moving along slowly with Gary’s disability. All I can say is how much Lyme disease really sucks, and how it can take so much out a person’s life. But we also refuse to let it get the best of us. At moments, sure thing, it just rips each of us apart, physically and mentally and emotionally. But we always have to remember to keep strong, pull ourselves back together and fight onwards. A few days ago, I was herxing and I had my O-Fam yelling with me, Die Lyme DIE!!!! Nothing like a violent Faery screaming to kill those spirochetes!!! Buhahahah!

So that’s it- same old same old. But the sun is shining, I have a great family/extended family/O-Family/great friends.

I didn’t do a damn thing yesterday- first time I missed everything since Sally’s Challenge started. But I have an excuse and it is way more – impressive- shall we say, then the dog ate my HW? God, I wish it was that simple. To put it plainly I had a day from Hell. Yes, I claim many of my days to be from Hell, but I guess they could be more aptly described as Purgatory if you go for that theory. This one- definitely some level of Hell.

It started out with me getting up, feeling pretty good. My mom and I had plans to go to the Palisades Mall to look fo good bargains for when we go on vacation. Fun! Honestly, I am not a Mall person, but it was for a good cause. I was only bringing Cait, so I wouldn’t even have to hear the sibling bickering.

Of course the first glitch happened early on. Gary was supposed to take Harley in to the vet’s for her second grid keratotomy- scraping of her cornea since the ulcer is not healing. He is still so sick, and I had sort of had expected it, so I just revved up my morning routine. As I started down the basement stairs to scoop the litter box, our cat Scarlett is lying limply on the top step. As she gets startled, she tried to go down the stairs only to tumble right off them. Yup, I knew this was a bad thing- Finished up getting dressed, while Gary called the vet to say we were bringing both babies in together. I needed help, so I brought Scott with me. I was expecting the worst so I tried to prepare him that we might need to make a decision about her. I told him how strong he was and how much I admire him and his compassion.

Harley’s eye procedure went well- the rest is now up to her ability to heal. I honestly do not know what the next step might be.

Scarlett, on the other hand- is very much touch and go. They suspect that she had a stroke. There is no way of “officially” knowing this without a CAT scan and that would run us about $1500- just for the test. They kept her there for the day and we brought her home last night. Her head and shoulders seems strong and have coordinated movement. From the shoulders down is another story. She isn’t paralyzed, but is very “floppy” for lack of a better word. She cannot put any weight on her hind legs, has no bladder control, can’t stand, and so on. She is on meds and we need to check in today with the vet for an update. We need to give her a few days to see if the meds help. From there, we need to look for improvement, or make a “quality of life decision.” That just sucks all around. With Ziggy, it was an easy (ha ha.) decision- as there was no quality of life. There was no decision. Right now- she has very little quality of life, but hopefully that will improve.

This is my baby girl- She is named after Scarlett O Hara, my favorite heroine.You can see from the picture she is a tough chick- but can be sweet as “sugah” when she wants something. We rescued her in 1995 right after we brought in a male feral gray tabby, who had a little “mustache”.” Can you guess what we named them both? You got it, he was Rhett Bulter. Rhett has since passed on, but I am not ready for Scarlett to do the same.

On a “positive note” (I swear- I’ll grab onto anything to call positive at this point!), I did get exercise at the mall yesterday. Cait needed to bring the wheelchair since her legs are still not super-strong enough to do a lot of walking. So pushing her around in that thing – well that has to count for something, right??

Who the hell’s idea was it for me to get braces? Huh? Wasn’t one time- 6 long years- of my life enough? But no, I had to go and do it all again. Oh yeah, it was my dentist’s idea- after he saw how my front teeth were chipping away and the oral surgeon’s who said that my wisdom teeth weren’t doing any favors (not making me any wiser- that was for sure!).

But I guess I thought it would be easier the second time around. I decided to get Invisaligns instead of metal. And yeah, they are cool because you really can’t see unless you are close to me. But they hurt the same as metal, at least as it comes to cutting my mouth up really badly.

How ironic is it that I recently threw out my son’s old orthodontic wax? I thought I’d seen (and tasted) the last of that stuff. But now I have it packed all around the trays, hoping that the cuts on my tongue will heal. And I am also hoping that I’ll stop drooling and lisping soon too.

This is *not* am attractive look for someone who is going to be 40 in a month hahahaah!!!!

It could be worse- I could have teenage acne too, right? And boyfriend problems. So I am wayyyy better off than I was when I was in High School!